Would you take a $5 paycut for Dream job

[loving2024, BSN, RN]

I will be graduating this December with my BSN and I have 2 full time job offers contingent upon passing the board. Here is my dilemma,

Job 1: step down unit with 12 weeks orientation with the possibility of cross training to ICU after 2 years and pays $5 more than Job 2. I love night shift and its differential is 20%

Job 2: my dream job which is in SICU! however pays $5 less and pays 10% differential for night and its also 12 weeks orientation.

So should I take job 2 because of my love for trauma patients and my desire to be a CRNA or take job 1 to develop my skills and then transition to MICU after 2 years.

So please guys help me out, would you take job 1 or job 2 if you really want to be a CRNA.

[mindofmidwifery, ADN]

If I really wanted to be a CRNA, I would choose Job 2. Job 1 takes two years until you can cross train to ICU?? That's crazy, yeah I would choose my goals over more money.

[llg, PhD, RN]

Money is not everything. I would almost always choose the job I wanted in my heart rather than be miserable for a few extra bucks. Unless there is something undesirable about the "dream job" option that you haven't told us, I recommend taking the dream job.

Choosing happiness over money is usually the right choice. Just be frugal and live within that lower budget.

[SHGR, MSN, RN, CNS]

I did take a pay cut of about that amount to get a job that I truly enjoyed and stayed 11 years, that suited me and clarified my goals. So I can say dream job + goals= worth more than money.

[NOADLS]

What is the base pay. "$5 less" doesn't paint the whole picture. Will this affect your ability to live an adequate life?

If you average 40 hours per week, $5 x 40 = 200 x 52 = 10,400 x marginal tax rate = what you are missing out on

If the $5 difference is between $30 and $35, I would say there is less to worry about than if the difference were between $25 and $30. But the real question is, which job requires less effort? If the easier one pays more, you really should be questioning your "dream job." But I really shouldn't go there since I am not your life coach. I hope you make your decision rationally though.

[dreamerachiever, BSN, RN]

I'm such a "follow your heat" person, so I would be follow my heart and choose Job 2.

[frozenmedic]

Take the SICU job. A step-down job with "the possibility to transition to ICU after 2 years," is just that, a possibility. The SICU job is an ICU position here and now. Getting paid more is unlikely to make up for being unsatisfied with your job, the patient acuity of the unit, or the lack of additional skills you'll have in an ICU environment.

Conversely, having ICU experience on your resume will make it easy to transition to the higher paying facility, another ICU, or directly to CRNA school.

Nobody has started it yet, but ignore any and all of the potential discussions about whether or not new grads should go directly to the ICU or do med-surg for a while first. If the SICU is really where you want to be, you'll be motivated and far more likely to rise to the occasion.

[snowy_owl]

I would happily take a pay cut for my dream job. If I am going to spend over 2,000 hours a year working, I am going to do what makes me happy.

[vanessaem, BSN, RN]

I'd take a dream job any day. For piece of mind and going to job I enjoy, I wouldn't mind the small pay cut.

[loving2024, BSN, RN]

I work at both hospital and units as a Nurse extern. the pay for the stepdown is 35 while SICU is 29.50. The pay difference per year including differential is like around $16,000. I accepted both job offers and I think I have to pick stepdown over SICU, So I have like 6 months to decide if my dream job is worth more than $16000 yearly.

Thank you all for commenting, I'm still thinking it through

This is tough to decide!!!